To Thine Own Self Be True
by MinaWritesSlash
Summary: Edward is trapped in a loveless marriage. His wife doesn't care for their daughter and his job is a dead end. An old forbidden crush will come along and make him realize there is more to life that what is expected of him, and all he needs to do is be true to his own self. E/J. Slash. FAGE written for Lia Jane.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: ****All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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**FAGEtastic Four**

**Title: **_To Thine Own Self Be True_

**Written For: **Lia Jane

**Written By: **MinaWritesSlash

**Betaed By: **Readingmama

**Rating: **M

**Pairing: **Edward/Jasper

**Prompt used: **Stolen kisses and a secret rendezvous.

**Banner link on my profile.**

**Summary:** Edward is trapped in a loveless marriage. His wife doesn't care for their daughter and his job is a dead end. An old forbidden crush will come along and make him realize there is more to life that what is expected of him, and all he needs to do is be true to his own self.

* * *

If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:  
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or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox:  
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**PROLOGUE**

Edward sat unmoving on his bed, watching as things got thrown carelessly into a suitcase and hearing what a low life he was. He knew he deserved every insult that was thrown at him, but he was doing the right thing.

After all these years, Edward could finally say that he was happy.

He had been selfish for once and gone after what he wanted. It might've cost him, but money was never really important to him. The people that really cared stood by his side, and with their support, he knew he could face everything and anything.

Edward was startled from his reverie when he heard his little love crying. He ran to her room and saw that her stuff was also getting pack.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

"She's my daughter too!"

"Since when?"

"Since she can get me ten grand a month!"

"I already gave you ten million! Leave her alone, you will never take her from me!"

Edward grabbed the psycho by the arm and dragged them down the stairs kicking and screaming. He opened the door and tossed the greedy slut out.

"You put a hand on her and I'll make you pay."

"My name is in those adoption papers, Edward!"

"No, they are not. I made sure of that!"

"What?"

"You, Rosalie Hale, have no claim on my daughter, and you will never will. Now take the fucking money, your crap, and get the fuck out of my life!"

He slammed the door close and turn to find his housekeeper standing wide eyed behind him.

"Mrs. Collins, please make sure Alistair takes Rosalie's stuff to her place, and also changes all the codes, that woman is not welcome here anymore." He started to make his way up the stairs when his housekeeper stopped him.

"And what about Mr. Whitlock?"

Edward froze in his step, then slowly turned to face Mr. Collins.

"You can tell him to go fuck himself."

Mrs. Collins flinched at his cold tone, but Edward didn't care.

His daughter was waiting for him, and she was all that mattered, now and always.

Edward believed that all he needed was his daughter and no one else.

Especially not a certain Jasper Whitlock.

_No, that fucker can go to hell for all I care._

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_So, yeah... I suck. I know I'm sooo late in posting this, but I had brain surgery, so I guess that gives me a free pass, right? RIGHT?_

_Lia, my darling, I hope you like this story, the next chapter will come tomorrow. Leave me your thoughts!_

_xoxo_

_Mina_


	2. Chapter 1

**Wow, I'm astounded by the amazing response I got from the first chapter! So many of you put this story in alerts and that makes me so happy. Especial thanks to those who reviewed, your words made me smile.**

**This is a short story, it has eight chapters plus an epilogue and an outtake that I will let Lia choose. So hon, let me know what would you like to read, okay?**

**Now, lets meet Edward, shall we? ;)**

******Betaed By: **Readingmama

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If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:  
**Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps**

or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox:  
**www. fanfiction community/Fagetastic_Four/98339/**

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**CHAPTER ONE: OLD CRUSH**

_"Hurry up, Edward! We're gonna be late!"_

Edward cringed at his wife's screeching voice, and for the millionth time he asked himself why he had married her in the first place. It'd been almost eight years since he said 'I do'. He had been so happy back then, so over the moon in love with her, but now Edward couldn't even remember what was going through his head the day he went down on one knee and proposed to Rosalie Hale.

Hearing his wife yelling for him again, Edward let out a long breath and slowly finished with his tie.

If she was in a hurry, she could leave any time now. He would be dammed if she was gonna rush him on his day off from work.

"Daddy? Do I look okay?"

Edward turned from the mirror at the sound of his daughter's voice. He smiled when he saw her in the pretty light blue dress he had bought for her on his last trip to Paris.

"You look beautiful, Elena," he complimented her and tenderly stroke her pink cheeks.

Elena smiled happily at her father's praise and hugged his legs. "Thank you, Daddy!"

Edward chuckled and patted her head. "Let's hurry, before your mother decides to throw another fit."

Elena giggled and skipped out of the room followed closely by her father.

As they both came down from the stairs, his wife stood with the front door open, waiting impatiently for them.

"It's about time. You know I hate arriving late to these things," she whined.

Edward sighed. "You hate going to these functions, Rosalie. I still wonder why you drag us to them."

Rosalie ignored his comments and instead inspected their daughter's looks with a cold gaze.

"Mrs. Collins!" she screeched, making Edward cringe.

"Yes, Mrs. Cullen," answered their housekeeper, coming in from the kitchen.

"Fix Elena's hair, please. A French braid will be lovely."

"But Mommy… it hurts my head!"

Rosalie sighed and patted her daughter's head, like she did to her dogs. "Now, now... Elena. Just do as I told you."

Elena pouted miserably, and Edward didn't want her to be uncomfortable, they already hated the idea of going to this thing in the first place.

"Let her have her hair down." Edward whispered in Rosalie's ear, then he pulled back and smiled, laying thick on the charm. "It's just a brunch, doll. I'm sure there will be plenty of girls with their hair down."

Rosalie smiled at his nickname for her and nodded, her eyes glazed over a bit. "Fine, at least wear a ribbon to tie it back."

"Thank you, Mommy."

Two hours later, Edward was already begging for a fire to start or at least for someone to make a scene so they could leave. The brunch was suffocating and all the men were only interested in talking business. Edward already had enough of that during the week; all he wanted was to relax and spend time with his daughter. Instead, he was nursing a mimosa – his third or was it fourth? – sitting alone in his table while his wife did her rounds with the gossip squad.

"Hey there, Edward. Bored already?"

Edward looked up to find his best friend and business partner smirking.

He huffed and rolled his eyes. "Since an hour ago, Peter."

Peter sat down next to him, shaking his head in laughter. "Tell me about it. I regret now bringing my poor cousin; the bastard has been hounded by the skank squad all day long."

Edward's heart started racing. "Your cousin?" he asked, his face a mask of disinterest.

Peter nodded and pointed to someone at the bar. "There he is."

Oh, there he was all right.

Edward surreptitiously checked where Peter was pointing at and sucked in a breath when he spotted him. He looked exactly the same, but maybe a bit more bulky and mature. He no longer looked like the kid that used to follow him everywhere when he was an intern at his company. He looked more confident and – though it made Edward uncomfortable to think about it – even more handsome than before.

_He's ten years younger than you Edward. _

_He's just a college kid and your best friend's cousin. _

_Don't look at him like you want to eat him._

Unfortunately, his inner voice went unheard, for Edward couldn't help but to check him out in his tight jeans, white button up shirt with rolled sleeves and steel toe black leather cowboy boots.

_Those motherfucking boots…_

Edward threw back the rest of his mimosa and grabbed another one from a passing waiter. After drinking it in one gulp, he sat back in his chair. He felt the buzz of the alcohol working through his system, relaxing him.

"So, how's he?" he asked casually, gesturing with his chin to where Jasper was standing.

Peter just stared at him, saying nothing.

It unnerved him.

"You know, Edward…" Peter sighed and suddenly stood up. "Forget it."

"What- where are you going?"

Peter looked back at Edward intensely, then bent down with his hands on the table and leaned in closer to him. Keeping his voice low he said, "I know, Edward." Peter waited for Edward to say something, when he didn't, he huffed. "I know about you and Jasper…"

Edward choked on his drink. "Wha-what?"

Peter patted his back, and then squeezed his shoulder. "Look, I don't care about that stuff, but don't play games with my cuz. If you wanna be with him, then do it the right way. Don't mess with him, please." One more shoulder squeeze, and then Peter turned around and went back to his wife.

Edward sat in there, frozen and perplexed from what just happened. What Peter said hit a nerve and Edward just didn't want to think about it. He couldn't think about it, it wasn't right.

_It wasn't? Really?_

Edward shook his head and knew he needed to just go home before he ended up doing something he would regret. He stood up, and quickly grabbed the back of his chair when he started to sway a bit on his spot. After he make sure he wasn't gonna fall down face first, he walked towards the house to use a bathroom.

Edward was only going to splash some water on his face, then he'd grab Elena and spend the rest of the day watching Disney channel with his princess.

Yes, that was the plan.

Though Edward should've known that plans weren't always set on stone.


	3. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the reviews! Many of you were concerned because of the prologue, but I promise a HEA for Edward and Jasper. Just have faith! ;)**

**Next update will come on Tuesday. ****Now, let's meet Jasper, shall we?**

**Betaed by Readingmama**

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If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:  
**Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps**

or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox:  
**www. fanfiction community/Fagetastic_Four/98339/**

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**CHAPTER TWO: CARPE DIEM**

It was a rare hot summer day in Seattle and Jasper Whitlock was enjoying it to the max. He missed the weather from back home – Phoenix was always dry, yet windy – but he had promised himself to try to make the best out of this trip.

It had been almost five years since the last time he was here. Back then, Jasper had been a skinny little shit, interning for his cousin's advertising firm and trying to gain a bit of experience in the business. Not to mention, eye fucking his cousin's partner every chance he could get.

Yes, Jasper had had a huge crush on the gorgeous Mr. Cullen for a very long time, which was one of the reasons why he accepted to come to this stupid event in the first place. Jasper knew Mr. Cullen was gonna be here and he couldn't wait to see him.

A small little girl with bronze curls ran past him and Jasper smiled as he saw little Elena —Edward's niece and now adopted daughter— play with the other children. Peter had told him about what happened to Edward's sister and how she died at childbirth. Elizabeth had been married to Sargent Marcus Bedford, who had been in Iraq during the birth. Unfortunately, just when Marcus was being discharged, he was killed by an IED, leaving little Elena an orphan at barely three months old.

Elena had been with Marcus' parents up until the accident, but they were old people and didn't have the means to take care of the baby long term, so Edward stepped up to the plate and took his little niece in, much to his wife's – the Ice Queen – chagrin.

The Ice Queen…

Jasper watched as Rosalie Hale-Cullen conversed with a group of ladies on the other side of the room. He could hear her fake laughter all the way from where he stood. It pissed him off.

Jasper observed how all the women in the group made a point to look around for their kids, and once they saw they were safe, they want back to their conversation. All of them did it, except for Mrs. Hale-Cullen.

"Jazzy!" he heard a squeal and felt something hit his legs.

He looked down and grinned when he spotted a pretty mass of bronze curls.

"Lenny!" He scooped little Elena up and twirled her around.

_So freaking cute…_

Elena's giggles filled Jasper with joy. He'd always had a soft spot for the little girl, and even more since she meant so much to the man that he'd been in love with for so long.

"Are you stayin' wif us, Jazzy?"

Back when Jasper was an intern at C&W, Peter's home got a nasty termites infestation, the whole house had to be locked down and pesticide. So Edward offered Jasper a place to stay at his guest house. It had been a blessing and curse at the same time for him. Meeting a semi-awake shirtless Edward every morning… Damn. It had been excruciating for Jasper not to touch him, and many times Jasper had to take another shower before he left for work to take care of a certain rising problem.

It was also during that time that Jasper got closer to Elena, and more than once he babysat her. Jasper adored the little girl, who looked so much like Edward's mother, Esme.

Elena was a smart little girl and had a very quirky personality. She enjoyed playing outside and always wanted to know how everything worked. One time, Jasper took Elena to a theme park, and she always ended up asking every manager how the rides worked. Jasper loved her inquisitive nature and he melted every time he saw Edward with her. He was her father through and through, and Elena was a proud daddy's girl.

"Not this time, sugar. I'll be with Uncle Pete until I get my own house."

"But you'll be 'round, right?"

"Of course, Lenny." He touched her forehead with his. "I'll always be there for you, okay?"

"Okay!" Elena clapped and kissed Jasper's cheek, making him feel on top of the world.

A couple of minutes later, a blonde girl approached them and asked Elena to play with her. Jasper let Elena go, never taking his eyes of the precious little girl, until something caught his eye by the tables.

Jasper's breath hitched when he spotted Edward Cullen.

Edward sat at one of the tables set out on the backyard deck. He wore a light grey suit, the top two buttons of his shirt were open and in his hand he held a mimosa. His fingers played with the steam of the glass flute. His bronze hair looked lighter in the sun, almost blonde, and he sported the always sexy crooked smile of his, but it wasn't genuine.

Jasper knew for a fact that Edward was just playing the role of the successful business man and doting husband. He had seen the real Edward Cullen during those months he spent in his home, but he had to admit that the man looked fuck hot.

Jasper observed him for another minute and turned back to the bartender to order a drink. When he turned back to keep watching Edward, he saw his cousin Peter leaning close to him. By Edward's expression, it looked like they were having a heated discussion, but then his cousin left without looking back. Jasper watched as Edward downed the rest of his drink and unsteadily stood up, catching himself with the chair. He followed him with his eyes till he saw Edward going to the bathroom.

Jasper stood by the bar, not understanding what was happening, but feeling like he needed to know what was wrong. Infatuation aside, he had always been a friend to Edward. He cared about him and felt the need to comfort him if something was wrong.

Jasper knew this was not the place to get too close to Edward, but the strange pull he felt in his chest, the pull that blossomed years ago, made him take a snap decision.

In an act of courage – or stupidity, whichever way you choose to see it – Jasper abandoned his post by the bar and followed Edward inside the house, knowing that what he was about to do could change his life forever.

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**See ya Tuesday! xoxoxo Mina**


	4. Chapter 3

**I forgot I had my chemo on Tuesday this next week (I usually have them on Monday) and I will be pretty much out that day. Since Readingmama did such an amazing quick beta work on the chapter, I decided to post today.**

**Just keep in mind that I'm allergic to pitchforks and mobs *cringes***

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If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:  
**Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps**

or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox:  
**www. fanfiction community/Fagetastic_Four/98339/**

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**CHAPTER THREE: BURN ME**

Edward entered the bathroom, his mind miles away. He had the door almost closed, when a foot stopped him.

A steel toe black leather boot, actually.

He opened the door and saw Jasper standing there with an unreadable expression on his face.

Edward smiled at his old friend, but it felt forced. "Hi, what are yo-"

He was suddenly interrupted when Jasper pushed him inside the small hallway bathroom. He heard the distinct _click_ of the lock and then silence. The room was small and had no windows, and with the lights off, Edward could barely make out the form in front of him, but he could feel him, so close to him.

Edward had no idea what was going on, and when he opened his mouth to say something, he felt it.

Jasper's hands.

On his chest.

Edward let Jasper push him until his back hit the tiled wall. Jasper's hand felt so warm against him. Edward's breathing started to speed up as he felt how Jasper slowly caressed his tie and then tugged it to undo it. Then, his jacket followed, landing on the floor. He didn't dare to say a word; he couldn't even process what was happening, until he felt Jasper's lips on his jaw.

Edward's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he experienced the sweet torture of Jasper's lips on his jaw, neck, collarbone… He groaned when teeth clamped down on his right nipple, sending jolts of desire through him. He hadn't even noticed his shirt was undone.

The clink of his belt buckle and the distinct sound of his zipper brought him out of his stupor.

"Jasper… wait!"

Edward palmed the wall, knowing there was a light switch near him. When he found it and pressed it. The small yellow light over the counter mirror came on.

He looked down, and Edward groaned again at the sight of Jasper on his knees, his hands on the edge of his underwear, ready to pull them down, and his eyes… God, there was hunger and need in his beautiful brown eyes.

"Edward, please…" Jasper murmured as he peppered kisses on his stomach, above the waist of his boxers. "It's been too long… I want it."

"Do-don't… Fuck, just wait!"

Edward pressed his thumb against Jasper's lips, trying to stop him, but at the same time feeling like he didn't want him to.

Jasper's eyes gleamed wickedly and pressed his lips against Edward's thumb, kissing it, then pull it into his mouth to suck it.

"Shiiiiiit…" Edward hissed at the sensation.

Jasper released his thumb with a loud 'pop' and grinned.

"Do you really want me to stop, Edward?"

Edward couldn't think of an answer, it had been too long indeed.

It had been five years since they were in this position.

Back then, Rosalie had gone to Las Vegas for her cousin's bridal shower and Elena was at home with Jasper, who graciously accepted to take care of her while Edward worked that Saturday on a new account.

It had been a long day for Edward and after the presentation was finished, he and Peter decided to get a few drinks.

Edward had drunk a bit too much, so he took a cab home. Once inside his house, he quickly went to check on Elena. He found her sound asleep on her princess bed. After giving her a kiss and picking up a couple of toys from the floor, Edward went downstairs to the kitchen. He wanted to sober up a bit before he went to bed.

As Edward waited for the coffee maker to finish brewing, a sleepy looking Jasper walked into the room.

Edward had always felt a great attraction for Jasper, but he was just a boy, barely twenty one years old. He had tried so hard to shake off these feelings for him, but failed at every turn. And that night, with his senses dulled from the scotch he had drank earlier, he couldn't stop himself.

Edward had been leaning against the counter and Jasper had reached for a glass behind him. It happened so fast, he barely had time to think of the consequences.

Edward had leaned in and kissed Jasper.

It was just a peck, lips touching, no pushing or pulling.

But it had been enough.

Soon, Edward was sitting on the counter. Jasper stood between his legs, which were crossed at the ankles against Jasper's lower back. Their hands roamed all over each other, while Edward kissed Jasper like he had never kissed anyone else before.

It had been raw, needy, and so fucking hot.

Jasper had just kneeled and started to pull his pants down when Elena woke up.

Edward knew that if Elena hadn't had a nightmare that night, he would have gone all the way with Jasper, he wanted him that much.

But it wasn't right.

It still wasn't right.

Edward was a married man, and most of all, he respected his friend Peter. He couldn't do it.

Edward rubbed his hands on his face. "I can't."

Jasper stopped trailing kisses over his abs and looked up. "You can't?" Suddenly Jasper palmed his hard cock through his boxers, making Edward moaned at the contact. "I think you can, all right."

Edward stopped Jasper, and pulled him up by the wrists. "Jasper, I'm a married man."

Jasper broke his wrists free from his hold and cupped his face.

"You don't love her. I know that."

Edward closed his eyes, reveling on Jasper's closeness and at the same time mourning for the inevitable end of their contact.

"It's still not right."

"What are you saying, Edward?"

Edward kept his eyes closed and felt Jasper kiss his eyelids.

"Don't deny me…. Please."

Edward opened his eyes and found Jasper looking at him with a vulnerable expression.

"I wish… I have to."

Jasper dropped his hands from Edward's face and turned around. With his back to him he cursed and then stormed out of the bathroom.

Edward palmed his face, feeling like shit for what just happened. After a few minutes, he had calmed down enough so wouldn't give a show to the other guests. He fixed his clothes and washed his face. When he opened the door to walk out, he found Rosalie waiting for him.

"Have a nice break?"


	5. Chapter 4

**Had a couple of complications yesterday and ff wouldn't let me log in *shrugs* it was not my fault. Sorry.**

**Betaed by the lovely Readingmama**

* * *

If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:  
**Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps**

or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox:  
**www. fanfiction community/Fagetastic_Four/98339/**

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR: REACHING OUT**

"_Hey, Jazz, I haven't seen you since that brunch on Saturday. It's Monday, man, and Lottie wanted me to ask you to come over tonight for some good ole southern cuisine. Call me!"_

Jasper sighed as he deleted the voicemail Peter had left in his phone. He tapped the phone against his forehead as he considered calling him back. From the way he spoke it seemed Edward hadn't mentioned anything about their encounter in that bathroom, and for that he was grateful. Yet, he still didn't know how to explain his sudden change of plans to his cousin.

After leaving Edward behind, he had picked up his bags and fled to his sister's house in Forks, a small town three hours away on car from Seattle. Jasper had taken the bus here and showed up unannounced on his sister's doorstep.

Alice had welcomed him with open arms and a batch of cookies.

"Something wrong?"

Jasper opened his eyes.

Alice sat on the arm of the sofa, which had been his bed for the past couple of nights.

"No, just… Peter."

Alice pursed her lips as she scrutinized him.

"Did you two have a falling out?"

Jasper shook his head no.

"Then what happened? 'Cause last time I checked you were staying at his place till you got an apartment."

Jasper sighed and scratched his short stubble that had grown overnight.

"It's complicated."

"Jasper…."

Jasper sat up on the sofa and patted the seat next to him. Alice sat down and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

"I think… I think I came on too strong to a guy that was in a, let's say, difficult situation."

Alice raised her head to look straight into Jasper's eyes.

"Meaning?"

Jasper grumbled and threw his arms over his eyes,

"He's married."

"WHAT?"

Jasper cringed at his sister's screech.

"Jasper, how could you? What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't thinking!"

"That's obvious."

Jasper pulled his hair, feeling exasperated.

"Please Jasper, talk to me!"

Jasper started crying and, with his tears, everything he had been bottling up rushed out of him. Jasper told her how the moment he first met Edward he felt that spark of attraction, how he hadn't been able to stop thinking about him during those moths he stayed at his house, how one drunk and tired Edward had kissed him and felt the desire snap him into action, and finally how just the day before he had practically thrown himself at Edward because he couldn't fucking think clearly with him so close to him.

Alice remained quiet while Jasper poured his heart out. She rarely asked any questions, and when he was finally out of steam and things to say, he sat there, elbows on knees and hands on his hair.

"I just couldn't stop. You don't understand, Alice. I have loved him for so fucking long… I just couldn't stop!"

"I can't believe this, Jasper. Mom raised you better than that."

Jasper closed his eyes, feeling low at hearing his sister's obvious disappointment.

"I know."

"What are you gonna do now?"

_That's the million dollar question,_ Jasper thought as he started pacing the small living room.

Truthfully, he didn't know for sure, but Jasper was determined to do _something_ for him. He knew he had done it all wrong, but he had to find a way to make it up to Edward. The last thing he wanted was to lose the friendship he had valued so much for so long. He couldn't fathom not having Edward in his life, even if they never got to be anything more than just friends. Jasper knew he would be content, but most of all, he had to think of Elena as well. Jasper was already head over heels for that little girl, and it would kill him if he never got to see her again.

"I'm gonna help him make it right."

Jasper saw Alice's reflection on the window pane as she walked to him and stood behind him.

"Jasper, are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"It's the only way. He deserves to find happiness, Alice."

He heard her sigh and then felt her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just scared for you, Jazz. You will be playing with fire and you might get burn."

He gave her a small smile and placed his larger hand over hers.

"Alice, I got burned the day I met and fell in love with Edward Cullen."

The sound of the garage door interrupted them, they both turned at the same time to see Alice's husband, James, walk in.

"Hey, I was able to get out early."

Alice's face lit up and ran to his side. They engaged in a kiss that made Jasper blush and turn to give them some privacy.

"I'm glad your home. Wanna help me with dinner?"

"Sure, let me change clothes."

James shook Jasper's hand and then walked up the stairs towards the master bedroom.

Jasper went to the kitchen, where Alice was already taken stuff out of the fridge.

"I feel like I'm interrupting you all the time.

"Pffft… you're fine, Jasper. James sees you like the little brother he never had. He was concerned when you came here, but he knew you needed to talk to me."

"Still, you two are newlyweds. I should leave, let you two christen the house..."

Alice stopped chopping the cucumber she had on the counter and hit his shoulder.

"You can stay as long as you want. We'll just have to get to the christening some other time…"

Jasper chuckled and then sat on one of the stools by the counter. "I have so much stuff to do."

"But not today, today we will eat dinner together and then go to bed, once you are rested and with a clear head, you'll have a better idea of what to do."

Jasper stood up, walked around the counter and threw his arm around his sister's shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"Thanks Alice, you really helped me out a lot."

"That's what big sisters are for, right?"


	6. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the late update. Long story short: I was busier than a one legged man in an ass-kickin' contest****. *shrugs***

**Hold on tight, dearies. We are getting closer to the prologue ;)**

******Betaed by the lovely Readingmama**

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If you would like to see all the stories that are a part of this exchange visit the facebook group:  
**Fanficaholics Anon: Where Obsession Never Sleeps**

or add the C2 to get all the stories direct to your inbox:  
**www. fanfiction community/Fagetastic_Four/98339/**

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**CHAPTER FIVE: COMING CLEAN**

Edward turned off the car and sat there, looking at the front door and gathering the courage to knock on it. Taking a deep breath and then letting it out slowly, he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He walked to the front, raised his hand, hesitating for a second, and then quickly pushed the doorbell.

He heard soft footsteps coming from inside followed by the foyer's light switching on. He saw her peeking from on the side window, and when she spotted him, she made quick work of the lock.

She pulled the door open, with confusion and concern on her face.

"Edward, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, Aunt Esme. Sorry to disturb you and Uncle Carlisle so early, but I really need to talk to you."

Esme Cullen stood immobile for a few seconds, looking so much like his sister, Edward's mother. She studied Edward, noticing his nephew's haggard visage, and quickly stepped aside to let him come in.

"It's okay, I was already awake. Carlisle just got home from his shift at the hospital."

"Oh, I didn't know he was working the night shift."

"It's fine. He went to sleep a few minutes ago and probably won't wake up till the afternoon. But Edward… what's wrong? It's six o'clock in the morning. Is it Elena? Is she all right?"

"Um, yeah, Elena is fine. I just needed someone to talk to."

Esme pulled Edward towards the kitchen, where she quickly made tea for them. It seemed like she could see how nervous Edward was and a few minutes later, they both sat at the breakfast counter drinking hot chamomile tea.

"I'm getting a divorce."

Esme spit her tea in surprise, coughing the rest in a napkin.

"Shit, sorry, Esme."

Edward took the cup of tea from Esme's hands and cleaned up the spilled tea. By the time he was done, Esme's breathing was normal and she wasn't coughing anymore. She daintily dried her mouth with the napkin and then set it down on the counter.

Esme turned on her seat to look straight into Edward's eyes.

"Edward, hon. Are you all right? What's going on?"

Edward ran his hands through his hair and then let out a long breath. He looked down and with a heavy heart told her everything about his marriage with Rosalie.

When Edward was in college, his parents had been pressuring him to get marry ever since his mother had gotten ill. He and his father had been heartbroken at the possibility of losing her and didn't know what to do to make her happy. Wanting to give his mother a joy, Edward proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Rosalie. He knew it was for the wrong reasons, but she had made him happy back then. Edward now recognized that he had been terribly naïve, for he never truly saw what Rosalie was really like.

After his mother's death three months after the wedding, his father fell ill as well. The doctors didn't know what to think of it, and only two weeks later, he was gone too.

Edward, along with his younger sister, Elizabeth, inherited all the assets from his parents, including his father's pride and joy, his company. Elizabeth wanted no part of it so she sold her share back to Edward, keeping only the stocks and the properties and Oregon.

After Edward took charge of the company, he was suddenly thrown into the world of balls, functions, charities and high society. It seemed that everyone wanted a piece of him, even his own wife, who always asked for more money to spend.

Then, his sister came to live with him when her husband was deployed to Iraq. Rosalie got along well with Elizabeth, and everything seemed fine. Until one night, while Edward had been in New York for a conference, Elizabeth called him in a panic, asking him to come home as quickly as possible because Rosalie was very sick and she needed him.

"I had no idea what was going on. The only thing I knew was that Rosalie had a serious infection. Liz didn't say anything else to me."

"Oh, Edward… what happened?"

Edward bowed his head and let his tears finally fall, his hands tugging his hair.

"I never thought she was capable of that," he sobbed. "She tried to play it off like it was an accident and at first I believed her, until I saw the charge of the clinic on her credit card statement."

"Clinic? Oh no… please tell she didn't…"

Edward nodded solemnly, and looked up at his aunt in the eye.

"She had an abortion, Esme. She killed my child."

The day he found out about it, Edward had confronted Rosalie. He never expected her to be as cold as she was that day. She wasn't sorry she did it, only sorry that _the thing_ had caused her an infection and that she was caught in the lie.

In fact, Rosalie had never even planned to tell him.

That was the day that Edward stopped sleeping in the same room as her. He just couldn't even look at her. There were things Edward could have forgiven her for, they were married and had made vows in front of God after all, but what she did was more than a simple mistake.

Rosalie had taken a part of Edward and made it disappear, like it was a disease.

He had no idea who Rosalie Hale really was until that day.

Then, another loss.

Elizabeth's preeclampsia worsened during the last weeks of her pregnancy and Elena was born three weeks premature. His sister had been too weak and she died in the OR that night. Edward had been devastated and when Marcus, his brother-in-law, was killed in Iraq, he chose to take care of Elena and promised to always look out for her in name of his sister.

Rosalie had been very supportive of Edward at first, always there to help him grieve the loss of his family, but when Elena arrived home, she was back to being cold and detached.

"I don't understand, Edward. Rosalie seems to get along with Elena quite nicely."

"It's all a show Esme. It's all about image and reputation for her. When I brought Elena with me, Rosalie didn't want anything to do with her, until after one of her high society teas she came home and was bragging about how Victoria, the queen bee of her so called circle of friends, had been praising us for taking _our_ niece in."

Esme made a disgusted sound and place a comforting hand on Edward's back,

"What I don't understand is why now? Why ask for the divorce now? It's been years since she did what she did, unless there is something you're not telling me."

Edward sighed and pulled his hair. This was the hard part for him, to confess about his sexuality and explain his feelings for Jasper. He felt nervous, not because he was scared about what would Esme think, his aunt had a very open mind – her daughter Bella was a lesbian after all – but Edward was worried she would think he was acting rashly since he didn't really know if Jasper felt more than physical attraction for him.

So, gathering his courage he blurted it all out. He told her about meeting Jasper, from feeling that spark of attraction when he first saw him, to the stolen kisses in his kitchen years ago, and finally to the secret rendezvous in the bathroom at the benefit brunch last Saturday. Edward couldn't believe he had finally told his aunt everything. He had been bottling it up for years and now he felt immensely better.

By the time Edward was done telling his story, they had moved from the kitchen to the living room. Edward now sat on the sofa next to Esme as she listened attentively, asking questions here and there, but letting him do most of the talking.

"I can't believe you've never told me this before."

Esme grabbed his hand in hers and gave him a proud smile.

"I'm glad you have finally found the courage to tell me, Edward, but I still don't understand what brought this on…"

Edward sighed.

"What is it? Did Rosalie say something?"

Edward shook his head.

"I thought she was going to. After Jasper left the bathroom, she made a comment and I thought she had seen me in there with him, but she just berated me for not letting her know where I was going. We both went back to the brunch like anything else happened."

Esme remained quiet for a few minutes. Edward sat back on the sofa, running his hands over his hair, lost in thought.

"Edward."

"Mmm?"

"Be careful, Edward. Rosalie might not have seen anything, but that doesn't mean she isn't suspicious."

Edward saw the concerned look on Esme's face and he was quick to soothe her.

"I know, Aunt Esme. Rosalie might be self-centered, but she's not stupid by any means. She can be quite devious when she wants something. I'll keep my eyes open."

"You do that, and know that you will count with my support always. Me and Carlisle love you so much, you're like a son to us."

"Thank you, Aunt Esme. Thank you so much."

~oOo~

After declining breakfast at Esme's, Edward drove home feeling lighter and more determined than ever. He went straight to his bedroom, took a shower, got dressed and went down to the kitchen to have breakfast with his daughter.

When he got there, he was surprised to find Rosalie there as well.

"You are up early."

"I have an early appointment at the spa and then the girls and I are having brunch together,"

Edward sat down at the table and poured some coffee, drinking it greedily after adding some cream and sugar.

Rosalie drank the rest of her juice and stood up from the table.

"Will you be home for dinner?"

Edward had planned on going to see Jenks, his lawyer, to start the divorce proceedings and then go see Jasper, who was moving to a new apartment today. He only knew that because Peter had let it slip yesterday during lunch. Edward had planned on talking to Peter today and ask for an address.

Hopefully, he would understand.

"I'm not sure. I'll let you know."

"Very well."

And with that, she was gone.

After breakfast and dropping Elena at school, Edward went to work.

The day passed far too quickly for Edward's liking, and he unfortunately never got his chance to have a serious talk with Peter. When Edward finally caught him before he went home, their talk was rushed and short. Peter made Edward promise to not hurt his cousin, and only after that, he gave Edward the address to Jasper's apartment.

Jasper's new apartment was in a very nice neighborhood and the building had a parking space for visitors, which were luckily empty, except for a white sedan with tinted windows. He thought he saw someone inside the car, but the windows were too dark to really tell.

Unbuckling his seat belt and grabbing his keys, Edward got out of the car and walked to the building. His heart was beating so fast during the elevator ride, like he had just run a marathon. The ping of the elevator when he reached the right floor made him jump. Chuckling to himself and shaking off his nerves, he walked out of the elevator and down the hallway.

Edward saw that Jasper's front door was wide open, a couple of boxes working as a doorstop. He was about to knock on the doorframe and announce his presence when he heard someone he never expected to hear.

_Was that… Rosalie? What is she doing here?_

Edward quietly walked into the apartment and saw his soon-to-be ex-wife smiling and conversing with Jasper.

A bunch of scenarios ran through his head, but he was pulled out of his thoughts by Jasper.

"Nothing happened that day; your husband was far too gentlemanly actually."

Edward cringed at the comment, remembering what happened last Saturday. He didn't understand what was going on and much less why Jasper was talking about that with Rosalie.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that? I have known all this time about your crush for my husband, Jazz. I just never thought he would be stupid enough to fall for your charms."

Edward watched as Rosalie opened her purse and pulled out a thick manila envelope. She tossed it to Jasper, who caught it easily.

"That's one hundred thousand dollars for your services."

_Services? What services?_

"Thanks to you, I now have evidence of Edward's cheating and a fabulous cause to divorce him while still keeping half of his fortune."

Rosalie clapped twice. "Bravo, Mr. Whitlock, bravo."

In that moment, Edward felt like someone had pulled the rug from under his feet. Clapping his hand over his mouth, he fought the wave of nausea that hit him. He turned around and walked out of that building, trying to hold back the anger that threatened to pour out of him. He was disgusted, not only with himself, but with Jasper as well. He couldn't believe how stupid he had been to fall right into his clutches.

Edward was completely and utterly heart broken.

He had no idea how he got home, his mind had been miles away while he drove. A wide range of emotions were clouding his mind. He cursed himself as he made his way up the stairs and once in his bedroom, he paced until his anger got the best of him and punched a hole through the drywall next to his bed. The pain of the impact shot through his arm, making his knees buckle under the weight of his emotions.

He fell to his knees and screamed.

Edward punched the floor over and over again, cursing and howling for being such a fool, for being blind and not realizing what was going on. He was ashamed of the person he was today, a mediocre boss with a mediocre family. He had money and comfort, but no real love in his life except for Elena, his little girl.

Just thinking about her pushed Edward over the edge, and he laid on the floor, hugging his knees in fetal position as he cried for all the years of verbal abuse and emotional neglect he had let his daughter suffer under Rosalie. He vowed to God to become a better father for her. She was all he had now and he was going to fight for her.

After a few more minutes, Edward stood up and went to the bathroom. On the mirror, he inspected his reflection, and unlike other days when all he saw was a bored and mediocre man, he now saw a determined one, willing to set his life straight.

He'd be damn if they would make a mockery out of him.

He was going to take his life back, at any cost.

Rosalie Hale and Jasper Whitlock had no idea who they were messing with.

* * *

**Like my beta said: DUN DUN DUN DUN... ;)**


	7. Chapter 6

**So... here's Jasper. ****The poor boy has a lot explaining to do, but did you all really think that bad of the gorgeous cowboy?**

**Tsk tsk... oh ye of little faith...**

**NEXT CHAPTER WE'LL HIT THE PROLOGUE! ****So buckle up, dearies! And don't forget to review, we're almost at 100! SQUEEEEE!**

**Betaed by the fabulous Readingmama**

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**CHAPTER SIX: BELIEVE ME**

Jasper stood in his living room, shooting daggers with his eyes at the woman in front of him.

"Nice apartment," commented the Ice Queen.

Jasper raised an eyebrow, wondering what she tried to imply with that comment.

He had just found a place to live on Wednesday, which luckily was ready to be moved into. Jasper didn't waste any time and rented a moving truck. All of his belongings had been in storage ever since he sold his apartment back in Phoenix. It took a couple of trips to get everything in the new apartment, and still the place was pretty barren, but the view made up for the lack of interior design. Besides, he knew his sister was probably already planning what to do with the place since he sent her pictures the day he bought it.

"How much did it cost?"

Jasper bristled at her question and bit back an insult.

"That's not really any of your concern, _Rosalie_."

"That's Mrs. Hale-Cullen to you, boy, and it is my business, especially if you are spending _my_ money!"

Jasper was shocked at her outburst, but then threw his back in laughter.

"What the hell are you laughing at, boy?"

Jasper smirked and shook his head at the audacity of this woman.

"Forgive me, Mrs. Hale," he refused to add _Cullen_, "I know I must show respect to my elders." He then chuckled when he saw Rosalie's face turn red from fury. "But I ain't spending no one's money but my own because, unlike you, I actually did earn every cent."

"Watch it…" she hissed.

Jasper rolled his eyes.

"You don't expect me to believe my husband didn't pay for this place, do you?"

Jasper frowned and shook his head in confusion.

"I really don't know what you're talking about."

Rosalie cackled, "I saw you with my husband… last Saturday?"

Jasper looked down to the floor, surprised by this turn of events. He knew he had been stupid that day. He should have made sure he wasn't too obvious. That was his mistake, but what was done, was done. He didn't know what Rosalie hoped to accomplish by coming here, but he knew it couldn't be for good reasons.

She was planning something, but Jasper couldn't figure out what or why,

"Nothing happened that day; your husband was far too gentlemanly actually."

Rosalie sneered and dropped her purse on the sheet covered sofa.

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that? I have known all this time about your crush for my husband, _Jazz_," she practically hissed his name. "I just never thought he would be stupid enough to fall for your charms."

Rosalie smirked and opened her purse. She pulled out a thick manila envelope and tossed it in his direction.

Jasper caught the package and when he felt it, he knew that there was money inside.

Rosalie sat down and got comfortable on the sofa. She averted his eyes for a second towards the front door, but before Jasper could comment on it, she returned her cold eyes back to him and smirked.

"That's one hundred thousand dollars for your services."

"Wha-"

"Thanks to you, I now have evidence of Edward's cheating and a fabulous cause to divorce him while still keeping half of his fortune."

Rosalie clapped twice.

"Bravo, Mr. Whitlock, bravo."

Jasper was furious. It took him a couple of minutes to gather the strength to not smack the bitch where she sat.

Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and glared at the despicable woman in front of him.

"Get out."

Rosalie's smile dropped.

"I said: Get. Out. NOW!"

Rosalie stood up, cool as a cucumber.

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"GET. THE. FUCK. OUT!"

Jasper dragged Rosalie by the arm out of his apartment.

"Don't EVER come back!"

He threw the money at her feet and spit on it, then slammed the door on her face.

_HOW FUCKING DARE SHE?_

Jasper fumed as he processed what just happened. He still couldn't believe her nerve, spitting all those lies about setting Edward up so she could get half of his money. That bitch had no idea what she was talking about. Jasper knew if she was so desperate to pay him to do that, it meant she had nothing on Edward.

_Good_, he thought,_ she deserves nothing._

Jasper knew for a fact that they had a pre-nuptial agreement, he had heard Peter talking about it with Edward once, and it was locked tight.

If Edward wanted to divorce Rosalie, she would get 10% of their assets. If he cheated on her, she would get half of everything, but if she cheated, she would get nothing. Rosalie had everything to lose, but she still signed, she never really believed that Edward would one day wake up and asked her for a divorce.

Jasper locked the front door and went back to the living room; he picked up the dirty dishes from his early lunch from the coffee table and washed then in the kitchen. He then made sure everything was locked up and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. He thought about calling Edward and letting him know about what that bitch was planning, but then decided against it. It was already eleven at night, and Elena was probably sleeping, he didn't want to disturb their night.

With a heavy sigh, Jasper set his phone on the charger and went to take a shower. He put on a pair of boxers and an undershirt, and then went to bed, vowing to tell Edward everything in the morning.

He woke up at the sound of pounding.

At first, Jasper thought someone was probably hammering next door, but when he hear Mrs. Wolfowitz, his next door neighbor, yelling and asking to please stop making a scandal to whoever was making noise, Jasper realized that there was someone knocking urgently on his door, and he immediately left his bed.

He grabbed a sweater and put it on, then went to check who it was. He smiled when he saw Edward through the peephole and quickly opened the door with a grin on his face.

"Hey! what are you doi—"

His head snapped back as Edward's fist collided with his jaw.

Edward cursed loudly as he cradled his hand, which was probably broken now.

Jasper fell flat on his ass and moaned at the pain that shot through him.

Edward stood panting above him, his face in a sneer.

"E-Edward?"

"Don't you ever come near me, ever again."

Jasper rubbed his jaw and sat up on the floor. He had no idea what the hell was going on and he couldn't even think of what could've happened to Edward to hit him and look at him with such hate.

"Edward, what are you-"

"One hundred thousand dollars? That was pretty cheap of you Jasper."

That was when it dawned on him.

Edward had heard the conversation he had with Rosalie yesterday.

How? He didn't know, but why would he act this way? Why didn't Edward hear him telling Rosalie off or see him kicking her out of the house?

Suddenly, Rosalie's behavior and attitude made sense. The furtive glances, the smug attitude, the fake camaraderie… She had set him up.

Horror coursed through his veins as Jasper tried to find the words to make it right.

"No, Edward. You got it all wrong!"

Edward shook his head and laughed sarcastically.

"Did I get the amount wrong or the reasons you did it?"

"I didn't do anything!"

"Because I was too _gentlemanly_, right?"

Fuck! He had heard that…

Jasper scrambled to his feet, still rubbing his jaw. He had clocked him good and he was sure he was gonna be sporting a nasty bruise for a few days, but right now he didn't care. Edward could hit him as many times as long as he got to listen to him.

"Edward, no… It was not about that! You didn't hear everything-"

"I heard enough."

"No! Listen to me!"

"What? What do you have to say to me? You used me! To think I even fell in lo- you know what? You are nothing to me Jasper!"

"Don't say that, please! I love-"

"_DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME YOU LOVE ME!"_

Jasper eyes filled with tears as he watched the man he loved reject him for something he hadn't done. He needed to find a way to make him listen, but he couldn't think of anything, his thoughts were a jumble mess and all he wanted right now was to pull Edward into his arms and force him to hear what he had to say.

Jasper reached for Edward, trying to make a connection with the angry man in front of him.

Edward pulled back with disgust clear on his face.

"Don't touch me."

"Edward-"

"We're done."

Edward turned to leave, but Jasper threw himself in front of the door, blocking his exit. He was desperate, crying non-stop and the only thing he could do now was beg him to listen.

"Edward, wait… please! Just listen, one minute! Please!"

Jasper stepped forward, hands open in suplication.

Edward stepped back, not wanting Jasper to touch him.

"Let me go, Jasper."

Edward refused to look him in the eye.

In a last act of desperation, Jasper kneeled and wrapped his arms around Edward's waist.

"Don't touch me!"

"_I LOVE YOU!_ Hear me please!"

"_AND I HATE YOU!"_ Edward screamed, and roughly pushed him away.

Jasper watched as Edward threw the door open and stopped at the threshold.

"Goodbye, Jasper."

"No! I didn't take the money! She has nothing Edward! She probably knew you were coming! Please, Edward, come back! I fucking love you!"

But it was too late. Edward was already gone.

Jasper hunched over and wrapped his arms around himself, and with a deafening wail he crumbled to the floor. He cried for hours until his sister showed up and pulled him inside the apartment, and onto his bed. He didn't know how or why she was here, but he was glad she was. He cried as Alice murmured words of comfort and stroke his hair, like their mother used to do when one of them had a bad dream.

_How I wish this was all a bad dream… _

When the exhaustion finally got the best of him, he succumbed to a restless sleep, with the name of the man he lost on his lips.

* * *

***sniffs and passes tissues around***

******Just so you know, last chapter along with this one AND the next one are twice as long as the rest. I hadn't planned it that way, but Edward and Jasper are practically taking over, so I just let them. You would too if you had them whispering in your ear, topless and rubbing your shoulders, being all attentive and sweet... *sighs***

******Anyways... thoughts? theories? crickets? Tell me all about it in a review!**

******Don't forget to check out the blog, I post teasers there. Link is on my profile.**

**See ya Monday! xoxox**


	8. Chapter 7

**I have a splitting headache and I'm using a coffee shop's wifi while I eat small lunch and get ready to go home and crash. Hope you like this chapter and thank you for helping me reach 100 reviews! *nekkid Jazz and Eds for y'all***

**Thanks to my beta fairy Readingmama and her sparkly red pen!**

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**CHAPTER SEVEN: BREAK OR MAKE**

It was late afternoon when Edward finally emerged from the emergency room with a blue cast on his hand and a prescription for painkillers in his pocket. He didn't waste any time to purchase the pills and popping in two, chewing them for quick effect and washing them with a bottle of water. He then drove back home in a hurry, knowing Jenks was probably already waiting for him.

Edward parked his car in the garage and spotted Jenks' BMW outside. He got out of his car and made his way to the front door, Jenks following him close behind as soon as he had spotted Edward.

The two men didn't exchange any words, just a nod in understanding as Jenks gave him an envelope, which was thicker than what Edward thought it would be.

Seeing the curious expression on Edward's face, Jenks smiled.

"Safety net," was all Jenks said, and Edward knew that everything was taken care of.

He examined the contents carefully, noticing once again the amazing job his lawyer had done in such short amount of time. Finally, with a strong handshake and a promise to call in the morning Jenks left the house without a backward glance.

"Edward! You are home early."

Edward looked up to find Rosalie standing by the foot of the stairs wearing a red blood dress and primped to the nines to go out. He shook his head at her gall, and once again thanked Jenks for his advice. Had he not followed it back then, he would've been in a more precarious situation than the one he was about to face.

Edward smirked and looked at Rosalie square in the eye,

"Going somewhere, Rosalie?"

Rosalie smiled nervously. "Um, just having drinks with the girls..."

Edward chuckled.

_Such a bad liar…_

"Really? And here I thought you were meeting Emmett."

He would've missed Rosalie's shock had he not been paying such a close attention to her face. He knew he had her and could almost hear the wheels turning inside his wife's head.

"Emmett? Why would I meet your accountant, Edward?"

Edward walked slowly towards the small empty round table that stood in the middle of the foyer. He opened on of the envelopes and slapped the photo that was inside on the top.

"Because you are sleeping with him."

Rosalie's gasp rang loud and clear, she could clearly see the photo and the compromising position she was in it with Emmett McCarty.

Edward felt sorry for the poor idiot, knowing Rosalie was only using him. If it wasn't for the audit the company and he'd had last week, he wouldn't have found out about the missing five million dollars that were transferred to an account in Switzerland. He got the money back but he was sure Emmett had done it under Rosalie's orders. Unfortunately he couldn't prove it; the transfer hadn't left many traces and they had been clever enough to not use anything that could lead to them.

However, he did have the satisfaction of firing Mr. McCarty.

"It's not like you aren't cheating on me with that stupid boy!"

Edward laughed and shook his head in astonishment at Rosalie's bravado.

"You have no proof of that, Rosalie. You just wasted my money on him."

Rosalie smirked.

"Did it hurt to know that your precious Jasper was only using you, Edward?"

"I wouldn't be smiling if I were you, Rosalie. Remember I have evidence of your cheating, meaning that I could kick you out with only what you have on your back right now!"

"You wouldn't dare…"

Edward walked up to her and stood straight, towering over her.

"Don't test me," he hissed coldly. "Let's not forget that I could have you arrested for embezzlement!"

Rosalie took a step back, her face going pale.

"That's not fair, Edward! I put up with you and that child for ten years! Ten fucking years! I deserve compensation."

"Then let's make a deal."

Edward grabbed Rosalie by the arm and dragged to the table, he pulled out the divorce papers that Jenks had gotten ready for him and showed them to her.

"You sign these papers right now, and I'll give you ten percent of my total income, no alimony, but you will get extra ten millions if you sign this confidentiality agreement too."

"Do you honestly expect me to settle for so little?"

"It's that or nothing, Rosalie. The terms of our prenup were very clear. I cheat, you get half. You cheat, you get nothing. I have proof of the latter, admissible in court even. Can you prove anything, Rosalie?"

Rosalie glared.

"That's what I thought." He took his fountain pen out his jacket pocket and placed it on the table.

"Sign," was all he said before stepping back from her.

Edward watched as Rosalie battled with herself. He knew that she wanted at least twenty five percent of his assets, but he was betting on her wanting her freedom more.

In the end, he was right.

Rosalie snatched the pen, signed all the papers and then stormed up the stairs.

Edward sighed and felt like the wait of the world had finally lifted from his shoulders, then followed Rosalie upstairs. When he entered her bedroom, she already had two suitcases open and half full with her clothes.

Edward sat down on the bed, the pills he took early already numbing the pain in his hand and making his mind sluggish. He tried to shake it off while watching as things got thrown carelessly into a suitcase and hearing what a low life he was. He knew he deserved every insult that was thrown at him, he had screwed her over after all, but he was doing the right thing.

After all these years, Edward could finally say that he was happy.

He had been selfish for once and gone after what he wanted. It might've cost him, but money was never really important to him. In fact, he gave two shits about it. He could've probably sold everything he owned and move to a more peaceful place, but he knew running away wasn't the answer. He was comforted by the fact that the people that really cared stood by his side, and with their support, he knew he could face everything and anything.

Edward was startled from his reverie when he heard his little love crying. He quickly ran to her room, her cry waking him up from the stupor the pills had drag him into, and saw that her clothes were also getting pack.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing?"

"She's my daughter too!"

Edward laughed sarcastically. "Since when?"

"Since she can get me ten grand a month!"

"I already gave you ten million! Leave her alone, you will never take her from me!"

He grabbed the psycho by the arm and dragged them down the stairs kicking and screaming.

He opened the door and tossed the greedy slut out.

Glowering down on her, he lowly said, "You put a hand on her and I'll make you pay."

Rosalie stood up and smirked. "My name is in those adoption papers, Edward!"

"No, they are not. I made sure of that!"

"Wha-what?"

Edward threw his head back and laughed. When Jenks had suggested to make a single parent adoption back when Elena was baby, he thought his lawyer had been nuts since he was already married to Rosalie, but Jenks talked him out of it, saying that Rosalie should be the one to approach him about adopting Elena. What Rosalie had signed back then, were fostering documents, which gave her the rights to act as a guardian, but not as an adopted parent.

In other words, the minute Rosalie was kicked out the house, she no longer had any rights over Elena.

"You, Rosalie Hale, have no claim on my daughter, and you never will. Now take the fucking money, your crap, and get the fuck out of my life!"

Edward slammed the door close and turn to find his housekeeper standing wide eyed behind him.

"Mrs. Collins, please make sure Alistair takes Rosalie's stuff to her place and also changes all the codes. That woman is not welcome here anymore." He started to make his way up the stairs when his housekeeper stopped him.

"And what about Mr. Whitlock?"

Edward froze in his step, feeling his heart ache at the mention of _his_ name. He exhaled through his nose and then slowly turned to face Mr. Collins.

"You can tell him to go fuck himself."

Mrs. Collins flinched at his cold tone, but Edward didn't care.

His daughter was waiting for him, and she was all that mattered, now and always.

He believed that all he needed was his daughter and no one else.

Especially not a certain Jasper Whitlock.

_No, that fucker can go to hell for all I care._

"Daddy?"

Edward stopped in his tracks at the sound of his daughter's broken voice. He turned to look at her crying little face, and wasted no time to swept her off her feet and cradled her close to him.

"Is mother taking me away? I don't want to leave you!"

"Ssshh… kiddo, it's going to be okay. You're not going anywhere."

Elena sniffled and furrowed closer to him.

"I promise to be good. I wanna stay with you."

"And you will, Lenny. You are mine, forever. I love you."

"I love you more."

Edward kissed his daughter's forehead.

"I love you most."

That night, Edward let Elena sleep with him on his bed; they both clung to each other under the covers as sleep pulled them under.

The next few days were a blur of activities.

Edward wasted no time in sending the divorce papers to Jenks, who had done an outstanding job by filing them as fast and as discreetly as possible. Of course, no matter how many precautions were taken, a story was leaked into the papers, painting Rosalie as a cheating wife and neglectful mother. Edward suspected that Jenks had acted on his own by purposely leaking the story, but he honestly didn't care anymore. He had his chance to start over, which he was gonna take with both hands and hold on tight.

A week after he kicked Rosalie out of his house, movers came to the property to take all of her stuff out. Edward watched closely as they packed her clothes and when he spotted a tin boxed with a lock that was taken from a nook in her closet, he snatched it up when the movers weren't looking. The box was big, like a shoe box, and the lock proved to be easily broken. He inspected the contents and found a few valuables, but none if his interest. At the bottom, he found a manila envelope. He opened and found money inside, one hundred thousand dollar to be exact.

Edward sat in his private office confounded.

This had been the money Rosalie had paid Jasper, he was sure, but why did she still have it?

He thought back to the day he had gone to confront Jasper and felt a pang of guilt at the way he had treated him. His hand still throbbed as a reminder of the physical damage he had inflicted, but it was the emotional one he suffered that day that still took his breath away and made the guilt evaporate as quickly as it appeared. He had been so blind in his rage, forcing himself to remain cold and stoic, but now he wondered if what Jasper had tried to tell him had had any real value.

Had Jasper been telling the true?

Before he could make sense of his thoughts, there was a knock on his door.

"Come in."

Mrs. Collins entered with a tray of tea and biscuits.

"The movers are ready to go, Mr. Cullen."

"Good." Edward took the stash of money and put it in his safe. He'd be dammed if he was going to let Rosalie spend that money. He'd make sure to donate all of it to the children's hospital in her name and send her the donation receipt.

Edward snickered, thinking of the outrage on Rosalie's face when she receives it.

He picked up the box and handed it over to Mrs. Collins.

"Could you please take this box and add it to the stuff the movers are taking?"

"Of course, Mr. Cullen."

"Thank you."

Edward sat back down behind his desk and started to prepare his tea, but then noticed that Mrs. Collins was still in the room.

"Is there something else, Mrs. Collins?"

She fidgeted a bit, wriggling her hands together nervously.

"Um, there is a Mrs. Hunter demanding to see you, sir."

"Mrs. Hunter?"

Mrs. Collins nodded.

Edward didn't know anyone by that name, but he assumed she was probably one of Rosalie's friends coming to give her _support_ like many others had in the past few days.

Edward sighed in frustration at the thought of brushing another one of those women away.

"Tell her I'm busy, to come back another day."

Mrs. Collins nodded again and left.

Edward drank his tea in peace, thinking of the plans he had to take Elena to Orlando for the summer. He was checking the airline fare tickets when there was a loud crash outside. He startled, bumping against the edge of the desk and spilling the tea. He was trying to dry the surface with some tissues he had at hand, when suddenly the door of his office was practically kicked open by a little fiery brunette.

"Mr. Cullen, I need to have a word with you."

Edward gaped at the woman in front of him, mainly because she managed to slam the heavy wooden door against the opposite wall, making a dent in it, and she was barely five foot tall!

"Um, I assume you are Mrs. Hunter?"

The woman smiled and sauntered inside, sitting at one of the chairs opposite his desk.

"The name is Alice," she said sweetly extending her hand.

Edward tossed the soaked tissues aside, dried his hands and then shook her hand cautiously.

"What can I do for you, Alice?"

Edward refilled his cup of tea and asked his guest if she wanted some, but she refused. He calmly finished making his tea and sat back, sipping slowly.

"I'm here because you have wronged a very dear person to me."

Edward couldn't hold back the snort.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Hunter, but I assure you that Rosalie deserved exactly what she got."

Alice waved him off.

"I'm not talking about that despicable woman."

Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, then who are you talking about?"

"My brother," she said confidently. "I believe you've met him?"

Edward shook his head, not knowing who she was talking about.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about."

Alice smirked.

"No, of course you wouldn't recognize me. My hair was longer and lighter back then, not to mention I was still single."

"Then perhaps you should enlighten me. Maybe give me your maiden name?"

She then smiled triumphantly, like she had finally got Edward to ask the right question.

"My maiden name is Alice Whitlock."

Edward sputtered and dropped the cup of tea, which luckily didn't break when it hit the desk surface.

"Whit- Whitlock? So, that means…"

"Yes, Jasper is my brother."

Alice stood up and flattened his hands on the desk, leaning in close to Edward.

"And you, Mr. Cullen, have broken his heart."

* * *

**RUH-ROH! Alice is gonna have her say... Next chapter will start with a time jump, just heads up.**

**Also I'm not a lawyer and certainly no expert on the law, so for the sake of fiction (and my health) let's pretend that all that was written here is in the up and up, mmkay?**

**Thank you for reading!**

**xoxox**

**~Mina**


	9. Chapter 8

**Big thanks to Readingmama for her awesome beta skills.**

* * *

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* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT: MOVING ON**

**- **_Six months later -_

_ "V&W Graphic Designs, how may I help you?"_

"Lauren, I need you to go pick up a file from Ben's office, please. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"_Of course, Mr. Whitlock. Right away."_

"Thank you, Lauren."

Jasper disconnected the call and looked out the window. The city passed him by in a blur as the cab driver took him to his office. The winter was starting to settle in and the temperatures were dropping. He thought about getting a new winter coat, since the one he had was already too old. In fact, the coat had been a gift from _him_ years ago.

Yes, he definitely needed to shop for a new one.

Jasper thought back to all those months ago after _he_ left without a chance to explain. He had no idea where to go after that disastrous encounter. He moped for about a week, until he got his ass practically kicked by his sister and brother-in-law. He quickly snapped out of his stupor, facing the reality that _he_ didn't want anything to do with him. Jasper had tried to call, send messages, email, letters, but he was turned down and denied at every turn. He finally accepted the reality and pulled himself together.

The first thing he did was look for a job, intending to make it on his own.

Jasper didn't want to work for Peter and _him_, though his cousin had offered plenty of job opportunities. He wanted to distance himself from that world. Peter had been gracious when Jasper refused to work for him. His cousin never asked questions about his decision, but Jasper could tell that Peter knew his business partner had something to do with it, especially when the scandal of Rosalie's cheating was broadcasted in every single newspaper.

Jasper had been shocked to see that, but was quick to turn the other way, not wanting to really know what happened. All he knew, and only thanks to his cousin, was that the divorce had finalized only three weeks ago. It was longer than what really was necessary, but no courts were involved. There had been rumors of Rosalie's involvement in some embezzlement, but that was all just rumors.

Though Jasper never doubted the Ice Queen was very capable of that, and much more.

He was, after all, another one of her victims.

But back then, before the scandal, Jasper was focused in looking for a job, and went out every single day looking for possible positions and meeting for endless interviews. He had been to what seemed like hundreds of them by the end of the week, and still no prospects in finding something.

A few weeks into his job hunting he had been at a coffee shop between yet another couple of interviews when an old friend from college had approached him.

Demetri Yanoz was a very nice guy, whom he had worked on a project back in college. They got along quite well, and had formed a sort of friendship back then.

Dimas, as he asked Jasper to call him, was in Seattle visiting his fiancée's family. He told him all about Felix and how excited he was to getting married in six months. Then the conversation turned to work and Jasper had to admit he was unemployed.

Dimas had been happy to hear that, for he quickly offered Jasper a job. He needed a business partner to start his own graphic design company, and he had a big account to start a business with, it was for a well-known pharmaceutical company. It was huge opportunity, but Dimas needed someone to help him with the workload.

Jasper had been hesitant at first, since it was a lot of responsibility to take on so early in his career, but he was confident on his skills and, after talking about it with Alice, he gladly took the offer.

After that, he made another painful decision.

Jasper needed to move to a different apartment, and not only to be closer to work.

Alice had tried to talk him out of it, but when Jasper confessed to her that he just couldn't be in the same place where he got his heart broken, she helped him find someone who would take the apartment from him. Jasper was lucky and a couple of weeks later, Bella, his new tenant, move in with her husband, Jacob. Jasper was glad, for he then was able to have the money to purchase something close, he really didn't want to move too far away from his family, especially now that Alice was expecting a child.

Jasper remembered that awful Thursday afternoon when he got his heart broken. Alice had come to his apartment to announce the good news, only to find him crumpled on the floor crying like a dying lamb. He had never seen his sister so pissed as she had been when he told her what happened. She had agreed that it had been a setup, and he had even started to fear for Rosalie's life, not that he actually cared for the conniving shrew, but he didn't want his future nice or nephew to be born in prison.

¨We're here, sir."

The driver's voice woke him out of his reverie. Jasper looked out of the car window to see that they indeed had made it to work.

"Thank you."

He paid the driver and made his way inside. He had just barely made it inside the building when a booming voice rang out in the vast lobby.

¨Jazz, my boy!¨

Jasper turned to see a grinning Felix jogging his way.

"Good morning, Felix."

Felix gave him a strong hug, radiating happiness.

"Wow, man… someone got laid last night!"

Felix laughed and released Jasper.

"You have one dirty mind, Jazz."

Jasper simply shrugged and then pushed the button to call for the elevator.

"So, what's up? What's with all the um, exuberance?"

"Well, you know how Dimas parents are visiting right?"

Oh, didn't he know…

Jasper had heard all about it.

Felix had been complaining about Demetri's parents all week, calling them narrow minded communists, though they left Russia during the sixties. They had pretty much made their life hell since they got here. Mr. and Mrs. Yanoz never really approved of Dimas lifestyle, not to mention his sexual orientation. The only reason they were still here and didn't go back to Amsterdam, where they lived now, was because Dimas' sister Tanya convinced them to stay and wanted them to meet her boyfriend.

"Well, so far it's been horrible. They've pretty much ignored all of our calls, and it was like I wasn't even in the room when they came over. Dimas always got pissed, but sucked it up. It was freaking killing me! I didn't know what to do to make it right."

The ding of the elevator announced their floor and they both stepped out and made their way to Jasper's office.

"So, what changed?" asked Jasper, setting his briefcase on his desk and sitting down on his comfy chair.

Felix sat down on the desk to his left and continued with his tale. "Well, last night his father made one of his snide comments about how people like us shouldn't be able to adopt and pass on our sinful ways to those innocent souls and all that crap."

"No! What an asshole!"

"Oh, you should have seen Dimas! He ripped them both a new one. He started yelling about how if they couldn't accept him, then they better forget he ever existed. Then, he kicked them out, uninviting them to the wedding during the process, and then we spent half the night fucking like rabbits."

Jasper threw his head back, laughing loudly.

"But then Dimas started feeling like the worst son in the world, not to mention that Tanya called him this morning to bitch him out about his attitude."

"Sorry, man, but they had it coming. If Tanya can't see that, then I'll be happy to unleash Alice on her!"

They both laughed at the ludicrous scene they were proposing, but knowing full well what the little pixie was capable of.

Felix shook his head, still chuckling. "Well, I wouldn't be against it, but Dimas might still want his parents alive, at least so that Tanya couldn't bitch him out about it."

Jasper nodded, understating where Felix was coming from.

"Could you talk to him?" pleaded Felix. "I feel like he needs to unload and I think he feels bad doing that with me all the time. Besides, he could use an advice from someone that went through something similar."

Jasper nodded. "I'll talk to him. Don't worry about it."

It had been a while since he thought of his parents, but Jasper still though he was lucky. When he came out he had Alice's support and eventually his mother's as well. His father had been another story, but as time went by and thanks to his mother's persistence, he came around. It took years, but it had been a milestone for Jasper to finally just sit down and talk about the hockey game on the television on a Friday night with a couple of beers with the old man.

Jasper made a mental note to call his momma or maybe visit her in Phoenix.

"Mr. Whitlock?" His assistant Lauren knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Felix stood up and kissed Jasper's cheek. "See you on Saturday; don't forget you are helping with the cake tasting."

"I won't, I promise."

With a wink and a cheeky grin, Felix left at the same time Lauren came in followed by Alice.

"What a surprise!" Jasper exclaimed as he stood up to welcome his sister, but stopped short when he noticed who was behind Alice.

Jasper looked down at Alice, asking her silently what was going on.

"Please, Jasper. Just hear him out."

Jasper bit his tongue, trying not to spit out how _he_ didn't deserved to be heard since _he_ didn't gave the same courtesy to listen all those months ago.

As if she could hear what he was thinking, Alice placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"Please…"

Jasper took a deep breath and turned to face the man standing by the door. His greeting was curt and followed by a cold nod in acknowledgement.

"Edward."

* * *

_**A/N:** *cringes* Mean cliffy, I know! Have faith, these two lovers will work things out next chapter. I promise!_

_So, hello there *waves shyly* Sorry for taking so long to update. To make the long story short, my eyes suck! Luckily, thanks to two amazing Cuban doctors I have now regained some of my lost sight. I'm very lucky, indeed._

_This will be the only update this month, December is crazy for me. I have two charity comps to write for and then I have the Drabble Wars. So, if the world doesn't end, I'll have an update ready for January. The story is pretty much finished, I just need to sit down and write a few more details and I need to do a bit of research for a part of this story._

_A Guest reviewer asked me how many chapters are left; I say approximately 4 chapters, including the epilogue and the outtake that Lia chooses. _

_Okay, long ass author's note is done. Now tell me how much this chapter sucked, since it was pretty much a filler chapter. *shrugs* Better than nothing, right?_

_I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year._

_Till next time,_

_~Mina_


	10. Chapter 9

**Big thanks to Readingmama for her awesome and quick beta skills.**

* * *

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**CHAPTER NINE: WORTH IT**

Edward stood just outside the entrance of the new glass building that sported the letters V&W and he couldn't help but admire it. The building wasn't by any means a skyscraper, but it certainly stood out with the soaring limestone façade. Although not ornate like some of the surrounding buildings, the sleek undulating wall drew the eyes upwards to the soaring peak of the building, which put an emphasis on its height, making it look bigger than what it really was.

Edward checked his watch again, realizing he had been waiting for Alice to fetch him for almost ten minutes, and he was starting to get worried. He had been debating for weeks about how, when and where to approach Jasper and ask for forgiveness. Edward had finally gathered the courage two days ago, and then called Alice, needing her blunt and honest advice to give him the final push to get here.

It hadn't been easy for Edward to swallow his pride and ask for help. Alice had been a God send in disguise. Not only did she help him realize what he did all those months ago was downright cruel, but she also forced him to face the fact he had broken Jasper's heart. But above all, she had opened his eyes to the fact that he needed help.

Professional help.

It was Alice who introduced him to Dr. Heidi Randall. She ran her own private practice here in the city and had been highly recommended by several of his peers that had dealt with difficult family situations. Edward worked with Dr. Heidi for weeks to help him come to terms with a lot of his trust and self-esteem issues, not to mention with the fact that he was a closeted gay man.

It took him a month to officially come out to his family, another month to come out to Peter – who back then had taken to only talk to Edward about business, their friendship pushed to the back burner until he 'got his head out of his ass and make things right', as Peter so eloquently put it the day he came back to the office.

It had been hard, but contrary to what he expected, he had only found acceptance and encouragement. He finally felt free to be who he was.

Then there was the fucking Ice Queen, Rosalie.

That bitch had been giving him hell about his poor daughter. Since she couldn't drag the divorce, she was willing to drag her supposed fight for custody of her daughter. Edward grew tired quickly and almost offered more money just to get rid of her, but just when he was about to make the offer, one of his trusted auditors came to his office with proof that Rosalie was in fact involved in the missing couple of million dollars from his company.

Edward didn't waste any more time and dropped down the axe swiftly. He called Jenks, set up a meeting with Rosalie and her lawyers, and then let his lawyer to the rest.

That was the last time he saw Rosalie.

_Good fucking riddance._

"Edward Cullen."

Edward was startled out of his thoughts by a masculine voice calling his name. He turned around and stood face to face with a very handsome man. He was six feet tall and had the clearest sea green eyes he had ever seen. He wore a suit that fit him perfectly and had a letter messenger bag hung from his right shoulder.

Edward searched his memory, but he couldn't remember how or when he had met this man.

"Excuse me, but do I know you?" he asked politely to the man.

"No, but you know my business partner," he said bluntly.

The man then took a card out of his pocket and handed it to him.

As soon as Edward read the card, he knew this was all Alice's doing.

_Demetri Yanoz  
CEO and Co-founder  
V&W Graphic Designs  
Seattle, WA._

Edward let out a slow sigh and looked up at the man standing in front of him. "Alice sent you."

Demetri nodded and pursed his lips. "She seems to think that us meeting is a good idea, though I don't really know why."

Edward cocked his head to the side. "You don't know?"

The young man shrugged. "Unless you are looking for a new concept design for your company's publicity, I don't think we have anything else to discuss."

By the young man's stance, Edward could see he knew exactly what he meant. Demetri Yanoz looked like he was ready to punch Edward in the face at the slightest provocation. He looked defensive and also ready to strike.

Edward wondered why Alice had thought meeting Jasper's new partner in business was a good idea, especially now that he was finally in a position to face Jasper.

Edward knew about Jasper's success. He had been following closely his career, feeling proud with each new client that spoke highly of this new up-and-coming graphic design firm. It was something that connected him to the man he felt so deeply for, and it filled him with joy to see him pushing through and moving forward. It gave him hope, hope he wasn't sure he should have let rise, given the stance of the person standing in front of him in this moment.

Edward rubbed his mouth, lost for words. "Look, I have been meaning to call Jas-"

_"Don't you fucking dare!"_

Startled by the young man's interruption, Edward looked up at him and took a step back when he noticed the balled up fists at Demetri's sides.

Edward raised his hand, palms out. "Let me explain—"

"Like he tried?"

Edward winced at the reminder of his actions all those months back and shame was quick to set a heavy weight on his chest. He crossed his arms across his chest, trying to keep himself together when memories threatened him to consume him.

"I-I… You're right." Edward sighed in defeat, but then shook his head, trying to get rid of those feelings, remembering the words his therapist had been drilling in him for the past months.

Edward squared his shoulder and looked at Demetri in the eye. "I have no business in asking you to let me explain, but last time I checked, you weren't Jasper's keeper. I have worked hard all these months to have this one chance to prove myself to him, to come here and apologize. I know I don't deserve a second chance, I was cruel and without reason. My actions have haunted me for the past months, but I am here, willing to sacrifice what is left of me to make things right."

Demetri relaxed his stance a little. "I don't trust you, and I doubt Jasper will be willing to listen."

"I know that, but I have to try. I lov—" He snapped his mouth shut and took a deep breath. He couldn't believe what he had almost blurted out; those words were meant for Jasper alone, but he had been caught in the moment, the desperation he felt was so palpable and knew he had to calm down before he said something he would regret.

Edward needed to make Dimitri understand that his intentions were sincere and that he was dedicated to make Jasper listen to what he had to offer, which was all of him. He took another calming breath before he continued. "I care deeply for him, Demetri," he said with emotion clear in voice. "He is worth the fight."

Demetri could see the sincerity in Edward's eyes, and the fact he was here and talking to him spoke volumes of his commitment to Jasper. He had caught Edward's little slip, but chose to not bring it up, understanding that those words weren't meant for him to hear them first. With a heavy sigh, Demetri realized that Edward wasn't the monster he had made up in his head. He was a flawed man that made the wrongs choices, but was brave enough to admit he did wrong.

Edward Cullen was a good man.

It was easy to see for someone who wasn't in the middle of the situation, but it was a whole different issue by the parties involved.

Demetri wondered what it would take for Jasper to actually meet with Edward.

"Look, Mr. Cullen… I can see you have made up your mind and that you care for my friend, but I honestly don't know if he will ever even give you five minutes of his time."

"That's where I come in," announced Alice as she slowly waddled up to where Edward and Demetri were standing.

Both men watched her warily; her belly looked so big in her small form.

Alice stood beside Demetri and gently placed her small hand on the man's arm. "I knew that if I had brought Edward here without you knowing, you would have probably stopped us on the way in. I know how protective of my brother you are, but they need to talk. Edward has some things to confess that Jasper needs to hear, and even if they don't end up together, at least this could be the closure they both need."

"So, that's why you set this up?" Edward realized, feeling his stomach churn at the possibility of not being able to be with Jasper.

Alice nodded. "Yes, it was the only way. Demetri needed to see that you weren't going to hurt my brother."

Demetri nodded and extended his hand towards Edward. "Good luck," he said as the older man shook his hand. "You are gonna need it."

"Thank you," Edward responded, breaking the handshake. "I know."

In a group, they made their way inside. While the elevator took them closer to Jasper, Alice tried to give Edward a pep talk, but the woman's words went unheard, for Edward had only one thought in his mind, going around in a loop like a silent prayer.

_Jasper, I hope you can forgive me._

As the door of the elevators opened, Edward could feel his heart beat faster and faster, so much that he was afraid people would be able to see it try to beat its way out. He unconsciously rubbed his chest, where the small ache that had been residing for the past six months had been permanently pulsing, but was surprised to find that the ache wasn't there anymore. Instead, a sense of anticipation started to spread and when Jasper's office came into view, he almost gasped at the feel of his body relaxing instantly, like the knowledge that Jasper was just on the other side of that door was enough.

Edward could only hope that Jasper would listen and let him explain. He had a lot of things to tell him, things he had been hiding for many years, things he needed to know, to understand and to see. Even if Jasper tossed him out today, he knew he would never rest until he made things right.

He was ready to fight.

For him.

* * *

**_For some reason, I had the most difficult time writing this chapter. I think I lost count of how many times I began typing and deleting everything I typed shortly after. I just couldn't find the right mood and the right sequence of events for it. I'm still not happy with it, but it's the best I can do. _**

**_The next chapter is almost ready; we will pick up where we left off the last chapter. I hope this chapter clears up some of the questions you guys had about Edward, but more answers will come in next chapter. _****_This time, there _will_ be a face off. Blame Edward for not getting it this chapter, he wanted to have his say..._**

**_Thank you for reading and for waiting. xo ~Mina_**


End file.
